Guys and Balls (2004)

After their most recent loss, a soccer team discovers its goalie is gay and casts him out. He retaliates by bringing back an all-gay team for a game to prove who's better.

Director:

Sherry Hormann

Writer:

Benedikt Gollhardt

Stars:

Maximilian Brückner, Lisa Maria Potthoff, Dietmar Bär

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eileen Eilender	...	Susanne jung 1
Leon Breitenborn	...	Ecki jung 1
Dietmar Bär	...	Vater
Saskia Vester	...	Mutter
Anna Koesling	...	Susanne jung 2
Steven Wellmann	...	Ecki jung 2
Melody Sitta	...	Cordula jung
Jan Giffel	...	Udo jung
Maximilian Brückner	...	Ecki
Willi Thomczyk	...	Wirt
Jochen Stern	...	Rentner Rudi
Judith Hoersch	...	Cordula (as Judith Delphine Hoersch)
Carlo Ljubek	...	Udo
Mirko Lang	...	Tobias
Tobias van Dieken	...	Bernhard (as Tobias Vandieken)

Storyline

Fair-haired Ecki, the baker's son, has grown up the golden boy of his home town. All that changes the instant he and his soccer teammates discover he's gay. Now the object of scorn and ridicule (and finding himself unceremoniously kicked off his team), Ecki travels to the city of Dortmund to recruit an all-gay soccer team to return and prove to his town and his former soccer mates who the best men are. As first-time-out Ecki searches blindly through gay watering holes for players, his parents endure a rash of derisive gay jokes from the townies, leaving Ecki's gruff father to hope for a change in his son's orientation while also considering closing down the family business.

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Plot Keywords:

three word title | queer cinema | gay lead character | gay character | gay slur | 

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Taglines:

Jeder gibt sein bestes Stück. (Everyone gives his best part.)

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Germany]

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

7 October 2004 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Balls

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,425, 30 April 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$28,194, 4 June 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen,FilmFernsehFonds Bayern,Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 102 min (DVD)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When the door of the lift opens to reveal Ecki and Sven kissing, Ecki is wearing a shirt, though he is previously seen to have removed it in the lift.

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Quotes

Sven: I have the late shift.
Ecki: No problem.
Sven: Ecki?
Sven: What?
Sven: Why don't you come along? I'll just be hanging around anyway.
Ecki: Love to.

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Crazy Credits

In the ending credits, each actor's name is placed on the soccer grid where his position was played in the movie.

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Connections

References Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

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Soundtracks

Zu viel verlangt
Written by Klaus Pelizaeus
Performed by Oliver Hardt

User Reviews

Delightfully Entertaining

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It's a well-made and entertaining comedy. It was my favorite film at the festival (out of 10 that I saw).

Yes... as others have noted, a lot of the comedy stems from a group of major characters fitting a checklist of the most common gay stereotypes. But it's all done in a way that's non-offensive, lighthearted, well-written, well-acted, and just funny as heck. I think you have to want to be offended to have a problem with it. And the main character (Ecki) is about as "normal" as can be. (...not to mention adorable and lovable.) Anyway, the film-making was excellent. The pace was perfect, and the plot struck a good balance of levity; it was serious enough that I cared about the characters, but stayed upbeat and fun as well.

Highly recommended.